The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-01-15

ed in no part to the enjoyment of the
narrator; it secmcd-possibly by reason
of antiquity--to be as fully lost upon him
as upon his solemn group of hearers A
bclated attendant at Uncle Abcl's obsc-
quies broke the stiffness with a rafting |
buggy, fastened his horse to n tree with |
excited speed, and hastened up the
walk. Elder Comstock. in the midst of
q drcarily monotoncd discourse, was
but family audible.
"Wal, Abel he KEEP up goin' to Gal
pinscs," Ole Cha'ncy Mash went on,
TRANQUILITY; "happcn in thar most any
night nm ye'd find him. But he didn't
git up courage to say nothin' more
bout marryin'-not fur two year, an
then ole Mis- Galpin she want favor
on t. She was just in the thick o.
dryin' apples an corn an putin up
their winter stuff, an she want over
well, an she bcgretched to hev
Haryit goin', an so she says to Abel;
an Abel he didn't pertend to gainsay
her. expect It he'd he'd such a run o.
disap'intments It 'twouldn't n seemed
nat'rel, nothin' else.
"Wal, he jest let it drop, as ye might
look to see him; an there wus space
o. several year went long afore nothin'
more wus said, an / reckon twas
Haryit stirred it up then. Spring o
twenty-ninc, twas; Abel was gettin'
long past thirty year consid'able. I'd
been married."
"'Twus that thar spring" said Ole
Levi Cushin', in u high key, 'tharwu
one o. the biggest freshets It these parts
ever see. Thar'd ben frcshets afore an
thar's ben freshets since, but they amt
nothin' to compare TO It. 'Twus over
flo wed fer pretty nigh II quarter-mile
round the river, am the old corduroy
road twas washed clean"
"Spring o. twenty-ninc, twas Ole
Cha'ncy Mash resumed. with ireful
force, "'t Haryit an Abel sot bout
gittin' married agin. Thar didn't
pear to be nothin' 'ginst it, an Haryit
ID got her preparations quite a piece
'long-twicet that wus It Haryit ID got
e'en-a-most ready. Wal, it'd "a ben a
surprise to the gincrality eff it hedn't "a
fell through jest bout thar; an sure
enough, Ole Mis- Hollinshead she be-
gun sayin' rs how she wus gittin' fee
bic, an she couldn't stan it hevin' no
more in the family, an t it might so
happen thar ID be children to rout
round an make a racket an II rumpus.
an she wus gittn' so 'tnoise distracted
her, an she couldn't run the resk; an
Abel, he didn't hev the gumption to
say word 'ginst it. Haryit she wus
consid' able mad. Ireckon t ef Haryit
he'd he'd II sign O. mother chance jest
then, she wouldn't "A made no bones o.
habited to consdcrin' her alongside O.
Abel Hollnshead, It 'twouldn't a
entered to nobody's plans marryin'
her. not cf they'd ben minded to. Wal,
passed long fer five cr six year. Ole
Hollinshead, he died: an ole Mis- Gal
pin she WIS took; an ole Mis- Hollins-
head, she'd got so broke down t she
WANT good for nothin' to speak of.
He'd so much lamcncss't she want
noways fit to be round the house; thar
was while t she couldn't take a step
ner hist her hands to her head"
The old man detailed the incident
with seriousness. His rural intimacy
of knowledge of women-kind in all do
mestic minutip and the effeminacy of
his old age rendered respectful his
, recollection of Old Mis- Hollinshead' s
ailments.
"She hedn't the strength fer doin' an
when Abel riz up the subject o gettn'
: married agin, she wus ready an willn'
: to hev somebody to take holt, an she
g didn't hev nothing to say 'ginst it.
S Wal, then sure as ye live 'twus ole Gal
9 pin t sot his fut down. He declar'd I
. he'd reared up Haryit and pervided fer
l her fer thirty-iive year. an now t he
wus feeble and ailin' he want goin' to
, be left to the care o. strangers an
) mebbe git carted oil an end his days
, in the poor-house.
4 WANT much peace from then
forrard; ole Galpin an ole Mis- Hollins-
< head they wus at it pretty much the
G hull time. Abel he jest sot back an
. let it alone-secmed to git meachinel
as time passed on, Abel did; an
4 Haryit, I surmise t Haryit was
) putty nigh tuckered out between 'em,
an didn't hev strength to do nothin'
Wal, ole Galpin an ole Mis- Hollins.
head they KEEP it up middlin' lively.
Ole Galpin he declar'd It Abel Hollins-
r head wus lopsided critter anyhow, an
r It Haryit wus lucky ef she didn't never
e git him; an ole Mis- Hollinshead she
| said It Haryit wus an ole maid, an Abel
i, cd IL he'd plenty It wus enough sigh'
D likelier. They didn't let up, neither on
n 'em, till ole Mis- Hollinshead died-died
l suddent.
9 "Wal, ye'd "a thought then they'd "a
t settled down without no more delayin'
/. But 'twus quite spell; want in nc
l hurry themselves, then. They wus kind
t O. gettin' long, Haryit an Abel wus,
A an sort O. habited to livin' single, an
, they want neither on 'em hot fur tc
q git married, seein' it he'd gone so long
: Wal, says to Abel kin recall sayin
r it-'Ye amt wise to put it off. Abel,
V says l, we've been nineteen year gittin
married, an it's time ye wus' Abel
5 he give heed to my words-allus he'd
: said Ole Cha'ncy Mash, with pride
/ "tractablc, Abel was; ef he hadn't "a
t ben sech faint-spirited an vacillatin
t sort o. critter wouldn't n he'd nothin'